Golden Gate Bridge Anniversary

Mashable: building the golden gate bridge

MASHABLE, one of my favorite websites, has AMAZING primary source images for the building of the Golden Gate Bridge.  These images really encourage discussion and awe with the students and are an integral part of my lesson!  YOU HAVE TO CHECK IT OUT!

Walking a bridge is one of my favorite things to do on any trip.  Two years ago, our family was able to put the check mark on the bucket list for the Golden Gate Bridge.  We had seen it several years earlier on a previous trip, but this was the year for the walk.  Public transportation makes getting to the visitors center and entrance to the bridge very accessible.  We visited in July, and the iconic International Orange columns were shrouded in the regular fog of the bay area.  The details of the bridge were the most captivating to me followed by the view (although limited) of the city behind us.  Fort Point lies directly below at the SF entrance.  When the bridge opened in May of 1937, its 4,200 foot suspension span was the longest in the world.  Today, it is the ninth longest suspension bridge.  The bridge is an American icon and year after year my students love learning about it.

Year after year, my teammate and I look forward to reading Pop's Bridge by Eve Bunting to our classes.  You can't go wrong with an Eve Bunting story.  She tells of the excitement (and sometimes fear) of two boys living in San Francisco watching their fathers work on the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge.  One father is a "skywalker" and the other is a painter.  Both fathers are equally important to the success of the bridge's construction.  Upon completion of the story, the kids can't wait to paint their own Golden Gate Bridges!

golden gate bridge research library